A golfer's ability to properly address and hit a golf ball is a strong function of the various visual cues provided to the golfer by the club head. The shape of the golf club hosel, for example, and the way that the hosel interfaces with the club head body, are all important visual design features.
More particularly, with reference to FIG. 1, a golf club hosel 100 may generally include a cylindrical boss 102, a horizontal leg portion 104, and a vertical leg portion 106. Boss 102 is configured to accept a golf club shaft (not shown), and has a bottom end 108 that intersects horizontal leg portion 104. The width W1 of vertical leg portion 106 is less than the outer diameter D of boss 102. As a result, horizontal leg portion 104 tapers from a width W2 to a width W1 as it extends out from base 108 of boss 108 to end 110, where it transitions to vertical leg portion 106.
FIG. 2 depicts hosel 100 as seen from the top, as a golfer might view the hosel during address. As shown, since horizontal arm 104 decreases in width from end 108 to end 110, the two sides 112 and 114 of horizontal arm 104 are necessarily non-parallel. The appearance of these non-parallel lines can disturb the golfer when he or she is attempting to achieve the correct address position.
It would be advantageous, then, to form a hosel such as that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, where two sides 112 and 114 of horizontal arm 104 are substantially parallel. Currently known methods of hosel casting, however, are unable to form such shapes. More particularly, with momentary reference to FIG. 4, in order to manufacture boss 102 and horizontal leg 104, it is necessary to incorporate two mold halves that meet at a separation line that lies on or adjacent to hosel 100. Such a mold would be used, for example, when forming a wax replica in a metal mold tool in connection with a lost-wax process. The separation line is positioned with respect to the hosel such that the molded hosel is pulled or released from the mold at an angle substantially perpendicular to the separation line (i.e., along a pull direction 402). In such a case, and depending upon the position of the separation line, the leading edge near the base 108 of boss 102 (region 404 in FIG. 4) can interfere with removal of the finished molded part.